Two Sides to Every Coin
by Songbird's Spirit
Summary: Basil wasn't expecting this adoption party to be any different than the others. But someone new showed up. Someone with glowing blue eyes and a mess of silvery hair.


Who could blame him for acting a little bitter at the 'party'. All those stares and whispers. Gosh, most days he wished he didn't have to attend these stupid 'meet-your-potential-foster-parent-' parties. He knew they were supposed to be more relaxed but they never were. Not to him at least. He looked weird, according to other kids, and was into 'girly things'.

Since when did reading become a 'girly thing'?

Outside of that, even his name was weird! Basil, after his German great-grandfather. It didn't really fit in with all the other Andrews and Bryans he was usually surrounded by. And if he wasn't mistaken, basil was some kind of...plant? Nobody wanted a nine year old boy with mismatched eyes, weird interests, and a strange name. The adoption party was proving that once again.

"Hey."

Basil jumped up, his eyes widening.

"W-whoa…"

The man chuckled, his messy do of silvery hair falling into his eyes. And his eyes...They seemed to glow. They were a bright -almost electric- blue.

"You okay kid?"

Basil snapped back to attention. "Oh, yeah. I'm okay…"

"Why don't you go out there then? Get some attention of an adopting parent?" The stranger urged, frowning when Basil shook his head.

"They won't want me. I'm too weird."

"You look fine to me." He paused, "Well, other than…"

"My eyes?" Basil guessed flatly, "Yours are weird too."

To his surprise, and relief, the stranger didn't seem offended. He even smiled.

"Yeah. They do look weird, don't they?" He laughed. "What about your eyes? Why do they look like that?"

Both of Basil's eyes were mainly blue, but his right eye had a thick streak of brown with a few random flecks.

"I don't remember the word Mr. Laurence used but...people just call it my mean streak." Basil muttered.

To his surprise, the man actually laughed. "Kid, that's awesome." He beamed.

Basil's eyes grew wide. "You think so?"

"Yeah. That's so-uh, cool. Would love it if my optics could glitch like that."

Basil stared blankly. "If your what could who?"

"Eh, if my eyes had those streaks in them." He chuckled, looking sheepish.

Basil looked away. "No, you wouldn't."

"What do you mean?"

"People think it's weird. Some of the foster families say that I'm some kind of...um...spawn? I think that's the word."

"...kid. You're no spawn. You're just cool."

"Thank you."

"So, uh, what's your name anyway?"

"It's...Basil."

"Basil?"

"It's German. After my great-grandpa." Basil added.

"People make fun of that too, don't they?" The man guessed.

Basil merely nodded and the man actually leaned in closer.

"You wanna hear a secret?"

"Sure."

The man snorted. "Well," he dropped his volume and looked around for any eavesdroppers, "I also have a weird name. And I'm awesome."

Basil grinned. "Really?"

"I can't tell you."

"Sure you can." Basil pressed. "I told you my name."

"I dunno…"

"I won't laugh. Promise."

For a few seconds, the strange man looked at him appraisingly. "Okay. I'm trusting you. Promise to be quiet about it?"

"Promise. Cross my mean streak."

The man snorted and cracked a grin. "Okay. I'll hold you to that." The man leaned in again. "My name, is Sideswipe."

"Sideswipe…" Basil's eyes widened. "Y-you're…!"

Basil snapped his jaw shut at the warning look the autobot in disguise sent him. "Now don't you go blowing my cover."

"S-sorry."

Sideswipe shrugged. "Nah. It's okay scraplet."

"Uh, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, blast away."

"Why are you at an adoption party?" Basil asked, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

For a minute or two, Sideswipe didn't answer. "Well, actually...I'm an orphan too. But I have a twin so it's not always so bad."

"You have a twin?"

"Yup. Sunstreaker. He's an artist."

"Cool." Basil gawked, "I wish I could draw good enough to be an artist."

"Well who says you can't."

"My aunt used to. I...I doodled on the wall." Basil admitted, flushing in embarrassment.

Sideswipe had a funny look on his face. "She was probably just mad."

But Basil shook his head. "Nah, she always said that. Even if I colored. She said I couldn't be an artist. She said I'd be a homeless person if I did."

"Is that why she isn't taking care of you? Because she's mean?" Sideswipe huffed. "You can be anything."

"Thanks. And, no. She's in jail."

Despite the circumstances, just the matter-of-fact way the kid replied with a sentence like _that_ was enough to send Sideswipe into peals of laughter. Ignoring the cross looks of the other to-be-parents, Sideswipe beamed at Basil in adoration.

"Scraplet, you are the best."

Basil smiled too. "Thanks. You're pretty amazing too."

There was a sudden buzzer noise that Sideswipe visibly flinched at. Near the main entrance of the orphanage, stood a cross-looking police officer.

"Aw, scrap." The autobot huffed and gave Basil a sheepish smile. "Looks like I gotta go, scraplet. Be seeing you."

"You're gonna come back?" Basil asked, hope clearly plaguing his tone.

Sideswipe winked. "Sure. I'd like that."

"Great! Well, um, till' the next time, yeah?" Basil smiled.

"You got it, Basil."

Sideswipe lazily ambled after Prowl's holoform, dissolving his own once it was safely inside his alt. mode.

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself." Prowl observed.

"Yeah, I did. That kid though…"

"Sideswipe."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Good."

* * *

 _TBC? Could end it here...unless you want to see more?_


End file.
